Blog POP! Enter To Win The Original @RBScooter A Must Win $200 Giveaway~ 11/29

**** We received the following product, complimentary, for the purposes of the following review. No further compensation was provided. All photos contained below are property of Momma Told Me Blog 2013.

Momma Told Me: Get out and do something!

It's not easy, as a girl, staying motivated in outdoor activities. In
adulthood I have the freedom to go on long walks, or take a weekend off
to go camping. When I was younger there were limitations pertaining to
safety and resources. Outside of joining school athletic programs, most
girls are left with hopscotch and biking. And, if you've read my
previous reviews, you know I never took that up! I remember the first
time I saw a Razor Scooter, I had wanted one so bad I begged my parents
for the better part of a year. Each holiday came, and pass, with no
scooter. All the boys in our neighborhood, my friends, had skateboards
which I was much too intimidate by. It was enough to rekindle my
interest in biking but, by then, Momma had already made her mind up, she
was not going to shell out $200 on a bicycle that would likely end up
collecting cobwebs on the patio.

Today's generation is bombarded with endless electronic stimuli, glued
to televisions, video games, and cell phones. If it doesn't have a
motor, or a modem, in it, it's simply not of interest. The girls here
literally pout and raise tantrums when the screens turn off and the
soccer ball comes out! It's no wonder we, as Americans, are out of
shape. So, while family gaming systems like the Wii are great for weekly
gatherings, it's equally important to re-group and get active. The
solution? The only way, I see, to battle mass childhood ADD is through
the combination of multiple items. That's right, a hybrid so intensely
cool and captivating that children (and adults) are forced to take note
and get outside!

For me, as a grumbly teenager, the key was a fateful weekend trip to the
desert salt flats, with Momma's rickety (but colorful) land yacht. Now,
to the average person, strapping yourself into a bucket seat 6-8" off
the ground with nothing but a triangular metal frame at your base, and a
giant 7' sail might seem a bit precarious. Take that same device and
drop yourself in the middle of an open lake bed with winds 15MPH+, and
you have a speeding mass of flesh and steel that can reach up to 70MPH+.
Remember folks, this is less than a foot off the ground, with nothing
surrounding you, and at the mercy of nature's unpredictable wind. It was
this combination of wind and motor(less)sport that had me thoroughly
terrified at first, then completely hooked. With these memories in mind I
set out to find something as compelling and thrilling to occupy Sabrina's (11) weekends.

What I discovered was the Rockboard Scooter,
combination bike, combination self-propel scooter. It looks about as
odd as it sounds, with a name that is impressively accurate, but this
human powered two wheel machine can reach speeds up to 10MPH! Available
in Original (ages 8+, up to 200LBS) and the newer Mini (ages 5+, up to
90LBS) these flashy scooters encourage equilibrium development and
harness many of the properties of an average bicycle. One thing's for
sure, you won't get away with being lazy and 'drifting downhill' on one
of these! Okay, you CAN switch gears and 'lock' the Rockboard for use as
a traditional scooter, but why would you want to do that when you can
Rockboard your way around town without ever having to put a foot on the
ground? And the easy pump style brake makes stopping in an instant safe and efficient.

We received a Blue Original Rockboard for review here on Momma Told
Me, during Christmas Wishes. This 'child's toy' quickly caught the eyes
of all the adults in the house, as it came ready to go and pre-assembled with a manual and instructional DVD. I
was initially blown away by how heavy this thing actually is. The
Original weighs around 25, yes, 25lbs, and is around 4' in length. While
the entire scooter collapses for easy 'grab and go' storage, it will
require an adult, or teenager of strength to transport. It is 'too heavy' for Sabrina at this point.

With it's die
cast aluminum deck, and aluminum frame, the Rockboard
is very durable, though pretty enough in design and detail that you'll
still cringe at it's first ding. Out of the box we found there was an
adjustable knob (located at the front) which controlled the locking and
angle of the steering column for rocking vs traditional riding. Once loose, the steering column was able
to be height adjusted according to the rider, then secured once more. The
handle bars, folded down for space saving transport and pulled out and fastened via a
threaded central connector. At the center of the steering column is a
latch hook that pulls out and twists to adjust the height of the
scooter. NOTE: Locking it up, the first time is natural. To adjust it
back down there is a small notch that must be depressed. We've found
this little notch to be sometimes finicky, and can pinch small fingers, so require and adult for this.

On the left comfort grip handlebar is the aluminum alloy brake essential
to control and safe maneuvering on sidewalks and vacant streets. Always
remember to exercise cation with the Rockboard, wearing appropriate
protective gear, and to supervise children when in use. Attaching the
foot base of the Rockboard to the back wheel is a familiar system
resembling a bike chain and pulley. Not only does this rear-spring
suspension system help propel the Rockboard up to 10MPH, but it provides
a ride that is equally smooth on or off the sidewalk. We were surprised
just how smooth, and easy on the knees, the Rockboard was when in
motion. After 75 minutes of Rockboarding, Sabrina didn't event feel a cramp the following day, but I'm sure she got great exercise!

The base of the Rockboard (where your feet go) is sufficiently lined
with a grip material that helps prevent your feet from slipping while in
motion. Riding the device, itself, offers suggested foot placement,
though we found this differs with the size and weight of the rider (maximum 200lbs). I,
personally, felt most comfortable with my left heel flat against the
angled edge of the board, with the right foot straight on the bottom.
Expect your calves to tone quickly! Sabrina (11) is tall for her age and could easily get the hang of the Original, but we highly suggest the mini for children under 90lbs,
as well as proper pads and protection!

To sum it up, the Rockboard expands upon the classic scooter concept with it's easy conversion from standard to Rockboard, making these a great active toy to grow with. Sabrina grumbled a little at first, when she learned she had to 'rock' to keep the scooter in motion, but soon fell in love and never went back to 'traditional' mode. While the wheels are larger in thickness and circumference than traditional scooters, make sure the rider is aware they will need to pay attention for cracks and bumps in the road, as well as traffic! Sabrina had the instinct to put her foot down to stop the scooter, so we had to constantly remind her to use the break. Otherwise, the Rockboard Original was a major success- it will be hard to top this at Christmas!

What Daughter Says: This holiday season pick up the combination scooter-bike that will have the whole family outdoors!